


Symptoms Point to Lovesickness

by merryfortune



Category: Free!
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-20
Updated: 2016-04-20
Packaged: 2018-06-03 09:41:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 884
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6605926
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/merryfortune/pseuds/merryfortune
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Nagisa is a flirt; everyone knows that but Rei knows that more than anyone.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Symptoms Point to Lovesickness

**Author's Note:**

> I saw two separate prompts and then I went fuck it, let's turn it into one, big mess of a fic.

   Nagisa is a flirt. Everyone knows this regardless of how close they are to him. They could be a stranger off the street or an intimate friend: everyone knows that Nagisa is a flirt. He will flirt with anyone, male, female, or anything in between, with varying degrees of seriousness. His happy-go-lucky attitude towards flirting has gotten him in trouble; he's been given numerous threats over time from boyfriends of taken girls and from heterosexual men offended that he'd pick them of all people.

    Nobody knows Nagisa's flirty nature however as well as Rei. Nagisa will forge an opportunity to remind Rei of his best qualities and then some at any possible moment. He will take every opportunity and create his own. However, it was getting to a dangerous point – for Rei.

   It was nothing. He knew that and yet he didn't. His heart palpitated whenever Nagisa felt the need to remind him that his eyes are the perfect shade of red with the most seductive voice he owns. His palms become sweaty whenever Nagisa grabs his hand, tugging him along and spinning him around as a playful thing on the way to the pool from the school corridors. Rei was becoming breathless whenever Nagisa smiled in a way that made it seem like he had only ever smiled at Rei.

   It was becoming very problematic and clearly the problem was that Rei was developing asthma. He had grown out of it from when he was a child thanks to routine and medication. Sports had also helped. It seemed strange that it was coming back even though his proper management was still in place.

   Yet after a while, it didn't seem like asthma. Asthma felt like death, like choking on rocks even though specks of dust were miniscule. The ailment Rei was suffering from was not like that. It was, strangely, more pleasant even though it caused agony so it had to be something else. Rei thumbed through every pamphlet at the nurse's office and then he read through every medical pdf he could load on his computer.

   But nothing aligned with his specific problems so he started a journal. Rei faithfully recorded every episode of clamminess, breathlessness, and heart palpitations. And it was becoming painfully apparent but ignorance was bliss. The answer could not be what the observations were pointing to. It was impossible. His health issues only arose when Nagisa was around and what's more, they only happened around him. He didn't suffer these strange symptoms when anyone else was around him or anything else that could cause an ill reaction. All observations were pointing towards "love" but it was impossible.

   Rei refused to let it be anything less than impossible.

   No matter how much Rei tried to minimise the effect of his illness, whatever it may be, it always seemed to pop up and especially around Nagisa. They were hanging out at Haru's again and Rei felt a little invasive as Nagisa had dragged him there without a choice. The hand contact that spanned the entire way from the school to Haru's house had been enough to leave Rei stuttering.

   Makoto sat across from Rei and Nagisa at Haru's table. Haru was "cooking" and Nagisa had his speed-dial at the ready but seemed more interested in bugging Rei as he was nestled against Rei and the table. Makoto stifled a chuckle and Rei could not understand in the slightest as to why Makoto found the situation humorous.

   Rei got up awkwardly and Nagisa slid to the floor. 'I need some fresh air!' Rei announced with inept social skills. Nagisa chuckled and Makoto pitied him. Nagisa scrambled up and grabbed Rei's wrist and spun him back a little. Where he got that strength from was a mystery. 'Wait, Rei-chan, I just have something really important to tell you. No homo but, like, you're really beautiful all the time.'

   Rei's face went as red as his glasses. Nagisa's stare was completely fixed onto Rei's eyes and Rei couldn't avert his gaze. His shoulders went stiff and Nagisa went silent. Makoto had no clue what was going on but he could hear footsteps approach. Bless Haru for knowing the worst time to come into a situation.

'Sike!' Nagisa shouted and he slapped Rei's rear playfully but that only served to further malfunction the poor guy.

'I'm-I'm st-straight!' Rei stuttered with all the accuracy of a fish. His mouth opened and shut with wobbly lips.

   Makoto stared. He rested his elbows on the table and his face on the palm of his hand. He didn't know what to say in response to this situation. He could think of plenty of inappropriate and sassy replies but none that Rei truly needed to hear right now whilst Nagisa laughed his head off.

   Rei shuffled off and Nagisa doubled over from laughing at his own, flirtatious joke. Rei went outside and Makoto was still stumped as to what he ought to say.

'I heard noises...' Haru murmured as he brought a plate of grilled fish into the room. 'Mackerel anyone?' Haru's face was what really completed the picture because he was so neutral and clueless. It was adorable really and even Makoto laughed whilst Nagisa snorted and laughed until his throat was hoarse and his stomach was sore.


End file.
